Design News - ROIDESIGN

Meet Mira Witte Hekman, Our New Architectural Designer

by Rayanne Rzepka | Sep 30, 2024 | Design News

Mira joined the r.o.i. Design team in September of 2024 and has quickly become an essential part of our team!

Mira brings extensive experience to our organization. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of Michigan and has a diverse background, including experience in architectural firms, design administration, and customer service. Additionally, she has held various community engagement and leadership roles. One of her favorite positions was during college, where she served as the vice president for a dance group that created a welcoming space for anyone with a love of dance to participate, regardless of their previous experience or skill level.

Mira supports both our design and resale teams with meticulous documentation. She excels in technical drafting and rendering to create detailed plans and elevations. Mira also assists with ordering samples, creating color boards, and conducting site measurements. Additionally, she plays a vital role in specification writing, vendor and customer communication, and attending client meetings to ensure project goals are met.

Furthermore, Mira is a key member of our marketing and sales team, managing our social media accounts and helping to enhance our online presence. She is passionate about innovation and efficiency, constantly researching new technologies and tools to improve our design processes and overall productivity. Mira is also dedicated to fostering strong communication and collaboration within the team, ensuring that everyone is aligned and working towards common goals.

In her free time, Mira enjoys activities such as dancing, skiing, and hiking. She also enjoys traveling with her husband and spending time with friends and family!

Welcome, Mira!

What are the Design Trends Today?

by Rayanne Rzepka | Aug 30, 2024 | Design News, Interior Design

Interior_Design_Market__by_Type_of_Decoration__2022___2032_

r.o.i. Design is looking ahead to see what the trends and tools are for the future. That means attending design product exhibits (NeoCon, BDNY, and more), reading design articles, and paying attention to our industry. That doesn’t just mean interior design, but all the affiliate arts that create images and ideas that influence our audience.

Technology is becoming increasingly important for designers to incorporate into their practices. Not just AI, and tools that draft and illustrate, but operational tools that create efficiency. r.o.i. Design is competitive with its tools but understands we can never stop improving.

The desire for warmth and personality is a current trend – a response to so much technology in our daily lives. r.o.i. Design has learned that sketches are sometimes preferred over slick presentations and make our clients feel like they are part of the design process. Fortunately, design schools never gave up teaching the basics of drawing and communicating with less technology.

One trend of our industry is that of growth and opportunity. Designers are finding ways to create more value to their clients by expanding scope and demographic. While this may have been impossible in the past, available data and resources through technology makes it possible.

Style trends going forward will continue with what we have seen; minimalism, graphic influences, geometric design with rounded edges. For r.o.i. Design, this has been the most obvious in the return of wallpaper; patterns of rounded shapes in a variety of colors are very popular.

While we are aware of trends and pay attention to new thinking, r.o.i. Design believes no design should be based completely on trends, but on the vision and desire of our client.

Interior Design Market Size was valued at USD 130.5 Billion in 2022 in this article by Market Research Furture. The Interior Design industry is projected to grow from USD 137.67 Billion in 2023 to USD 211.29 Billion by 2032, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.50% during the forecast period (2023 – 2032).

Interior Design Market Overview

“Hand-drawn elements are adding a touch of warmth and personality to designs,” Design Equation reports on their thoughts of the current market. Doodles and illustrations are being used to create a more human connection with audiences, a refreshing departure from overly polished graphics.

The future of design is an evolving field shaped by technological advancements, societal shifts, and environmental considerations. As we move further into the 21st century, design is becoming increasingly intertwined with digital innovation, leading to transformative possibilities and innovative solutions.

Rivertown Family Chiropractic makes “The Move”

by Rayanne Rzepka | Jul 24, 2024 | Design News, Interior Design, Medical Design, Workplace Design

From a cellular phone storefront to a magnificent two-story open space, Rivertown Family Chiropractic has moved to a new location and business is booming.

Dr. Mark Wolfman and wife Janelle were attentive to every detail of their new space, making sure their patients could sense that their space was a place where “Miracles Happen”.

Their practice is energetic, lively, and inclusive. r.o.i. Design visited when practitioners were working with babies, their parents, and seniors. And when they exited, they were happy and eager for the next treatment, being addressed by name by the staff.

r.o.i. Design met Rivertown Family Chiropractic through First Companies, and First Companies fulfilled the promises of their design in the construction and build-out. Kudo’s to FCI’s Ryan and Jason who made sure it happened.

Elements we especially appreciate:

Vaulted 20-foot ceilings that allowed for a lower canopy over the waiting area

Acoustic ceiling baffles shaped like the curvature of the spine over the “hot seats” (chairs where patients warm up, watch videos, listen to helpful instruction) to help the patients feel comfortable in the tall space.

The break room also has a vaulted ceiling.

The lighting is bright and clear, promoting health and remembering that West Michigan is dark for eight months of the year.

The reception desk and back wall are reminiscent of a hospitality setting, but not ostentatious.

We are grateful for the journey and blessed by the outcome. We see them serving generations to come.

Some examples of branded interiors by r.o.i. Design:

© Photos Courtesy of First Companies, Inc. & Kynda

For more of our medical projects click here.

Beacon Hill Opens the Vista Lounge and Game Room

by Rayanne Rzepka | Jul 24, 2024 | Design News, Designing Public Areas, Hospitality Design, Interior Design, Procurement and Purchasing

Beacon Hill at Eastgate continues to add programs and opportunities for residents for on-campus activities. The most recent is the reopening of the Vista Lounge. This room was previously barely used, and only populated with chairs, tables, wallcoverings, and art.

We are happy to report that on opening day, the lounge was filled with people. Why? Because now:

It is a fully furnished game room, with electronic arcade games (Pac-Man and James Bond), fully appointed poker table, game tables (with embedded checkers and chess boards), nine-foot professional shuffleboard table, and a real dart board.

The room has a built-in hospitality area so drinks and food can be catered for events.

The space can be rented for groups and celebrations.

The interior was completely changed and upgraded for a “four-star” experience.

r.o.i. Design started to conceive the space with Beacon Hill leadership in the fall of 2023. As part of the process, r.o.i looked at competitive properties and their game rooms. We found that most of them had dining rooms with the opportunity to play games. Beacon Hill didn’t want an apologetic space, but a space worthy of the quality and lifestyle of the people who lived there.

The design included new finishes for all the space:

Walnut wood parquet wall

Brushed gold lighting

Luxuriously upholstered lounge seating

Lighting the existing beams with indirect LED lighting

Painted moldings and architectural panels in a luscious deep brown

Modular carpet that is unlike the printed carpets throughout the common areas at Beacon Hill

For more information about the fine living at Beacon Hill, chick here.

Click on the thumbnails below to enlarge images.

For more of our multifamily & senior living projects click here.

Does your corporate space “sell”?

by Rayanne Rzepka | Jun 25, 2024 | Branding, Design News, Designing Public Areas, Graphic Design, Hospitality Design, Interior Design, Workplace Design

Does your space reflect the story you have been telling your customers about your goals, values, and successes? Does your space promote pride and loyalty among employees?

Hipcouch.com states in their article, “How the right office interior design makes or breaks a business” that the first attribute needed is a branded interior. Likewise, r.o.i. Design’s experience says that partial or complete remodeling without messaging may not yield a “return on (the) investment”.

Branding is more than a logo in the reception area and a poster in the breakroom. Notably, the integration of goals and values in all the interior materials builds the trust needed for customers to commit to a sale and employees to stay.

On an exit interview at a credit union, Mary Witte, President of r.o.i. Design, asked “How was your visit?” The response was “Awesome, the messaging, the space, and the staff were so consistent in their presentation, we immediately trusted them. We are new in town and have been shopping around for a “bank”, and this experience made the deal”.

r.o.i. Design has engaged with business owners for interior design for 30+ years. Projects that invested in interior branding have cited customer satisfaction and a reduced need to remodel, as their corporate story is not a trend and does not need re-telling.

How about your space? We offer one free consultation to hear about your business design needs. Whether it is branding the interior with company goals and values, updating spaces to build trust, or supporting your promises to be the leader you promised to be.

Some examples of branded interiors by r.o.i. Design:

Accessorizing for Comfort and Fun

by Rayanne Rzepka | Jun 25, 2024 | Design News, Home Design, Hospitality Design, Interior Design, Lighting Design, Procurement and Purchasing

One of r.o.i. Design’s good clients asked for our help supplying furnishings and accessories for their company’s family condo. Located in the Downtown entertainment district of Grand Rapids, we saw this as an opportunity to meet their deadline and stay within their budget.

We don’t often work on residential projects, but we have extensive experience designing hospitality environments for developers and owners.

This project involved replacing most of the furniture and lighting. In addition, the art and accessories, including rugs, lamps, wall décor, and tabletop items were also replaced.

We called on our favorite suppliers to find cost-effective items that could be sourced quickly. Our agreement included r.o.i. Design to hold items in our warehouse, and then delivery and installation in one or two visits. The goal was to make it as painless as possible for clients but look fantastic!

The transformation took the condo from a formal-looking space to a comfortable family space. This allowed our client to conveniently share sports events, concerts, art openings, and great restaurants with business and personal friends from near and far.

Some of our favorite items included the new dining room table and chairs, chandelier, “boho” art, and new hallway lighting.

Click on the thumbnails below to enlarge images.